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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-PLED-2015-08-12Approved at the September 9, 2015 PEDC Meeting City of Ithaca Planning & Economic Development Committee Wednesday, August 12, 2015 – 6:00 p.m. Common Council Chambers, City Hall, 108 East Green Street Minutes Committee Members Attending: Joseph (Seph) Murtagh, Chair; Graham Kerslick, Ellen McCollister, Cynthia Brock, and Josephine Martell Committee Members Absent: None Other Elected Officials Attending: Alderperson George McGonigal Staff Attending: JoAnn Cornish, Director, Department of Planning, Building, Zoning, and Economic Development; Megan Wilson, Senior Planner, Department of Planning, Building, Zoning, and Economic Development; Nels Bohn, Director, Ithaca Urban Renewal Agency; Ari Lavine, City Attorney; Debbie Grunder, Executive Assistant, Department of Planning, Building, Zoning, and Economic Development Others Attending: Joe Bowes and Chris Mozzarella, INHS Chair Seph Murtagh called the meeting to order at 6:00p.m. 1) Call to Order/Agenda Review No changes were made to the agenda. 2) Special Order of Business – Public Hearing – Comprehensive Plan Alderperson McCollister motioned to open the public hearing; Alderperson Kerslick seconded it. Passed Unanimously. David Kay, 205 Hook Avenue, urges the City to take the Comprehensive Plan seriously. Treat it with respect that it really deserves. Many people have worked very hard on this. Approved at the September 9, 2015 PEDC Meeting Alderperson Brock motioned to close the public hearing; Alderperson McCollister seconded it. Passed Unanimously 3) Public Comment and Response from Committee Members Amanda Zerilli, 117 Pearsall Place, spoke on their experience of raising chickens which they currently do within the City limits. It has been a completely positive experience. It has brought our neighborhood together. We have a very clean coup coop. People are in awe of how clean the whole set up is. William Skipper, spouse of Amanda, 117 Pearsall Place, stated he doesn’t understand why the City of Ithaca can’t wrap their head around the raising of chickens similar to New York City has. Peggy Tully, 329 West Buffalo Street, administrator of Backyard Chickens NOW, an Ithaca based group with 300 local members. She totally supports the raising of chickens. She realizes it isn’t for everyone. It is very economical for families. They Chickens eat their own ticks; peck the ground to help the lawns, and are a pleasant small animal as a pet. Thomas Shelley, 118 East Court Street, provided information on upcoming events of the raising of chickens. Thomas Shelley also asked about the likelihood of beginning the discussion of chickens sooner than the 8:20 planned discussion. Jane-Marie Law, 404 Cayuga Street, stated that the their property was once allowed to raise chickens back in the 1950s. Many people enjoy the chickens. She and many others are willing to help those wanting to raise chickens but don’t know how to go about it. Alderperson McCollister responded on the chicken topic. She is encouraged to hear the amount of people who already raise chickens or want to do so. Chair Murtagh suggested that any of those in the room has anything to provide on the raising of chickens to send it along to Council members. Alderperson Brock stated she would like to see a clear understanding of animal control or nuisance issues, odor, etc. The neighborhood quality of life is crucial. Alderperson Kerslick agreed with Alderperson Brock. It is important to look into the enforcement of this. Approved at the September 9, 2015 PEDC Meeting Alderperson McCollister expressed her concerns as to what will happen if some of these chickens go “feral”, i.e., whether it be a fraternity house wanting to raise. 4) Announcements, Updates, and Reports a) EPMO Fines -- Alderperson Martell stated the City and the Landlord Association will meet tomorrow, August 13, 2015. b) CIITAP Revision – a committee has been formed with Alderperson McCollister serving as chair. This committee met for the first time today. Tax abatements still have a role in the City. The committee is looking at more incentives to be provided. The committee will meet a few more times; their recommendation will be brought to this committee, then on to Council. There is a union representative on the committee, a developer – a real diverse group. Alderperson Brock asked whether there was anyone on this committee that is looking at the diversity needs questions of diversity in the workforce. The concerns regarding CIITAP when created were a diversified work force and a living wage. She feels it’s essential for someone on this committee looks at this specifically. c) Taxi Regulations – Chair Murtagh stated this is something we’ve wanted to address for some time. Julie Holcomb, City Clerk, wanted to reach out to more groups for further information before making any changes to the current process. d) Downtown Ithaca Alliance (DIA) MOU – Chair Murtagh stated that he forwarded information on this to the group. Alderperson Brock is very alarmed as to the financing and budget. Chair Murtagh suggested she state her concerns in writing to Gary Ferguson. The MOU is to show what is currently stated in this MOU. Alderperson Kerslick asked if this will be part of the current budget process. JoAnn Cornish stated it will be included in the 2016 budget so it is very important to understand this MOU. Approved at the September 9, 2015 PEDC Meeting e) MH-1 Zoning Alderperson Brock stated the DEC reached out to her and requested the information she had gathered on this site. They concurred that there needs to be more insight into this and will work with the Health Department. 5) Action Items – Voting to Send on to Council a) Comprehensive Plan Megan Wilson explained that many of the comments made since the last planning committee were not substantive changes. Adoption of Plan Ithaca as Phase I of the City of Ithaca Comprehensive Plan – Declaration of Lead Agency for Environmental Review Moved by Alderperson McCollister; seconded by Alderperson Brock. Carried Unanimously. WHEREAS, State Law and Section 176-6 of the City Code require that a lead agency be established for conducting environmental review of projects in accordance with local and state environmental law, and WHEREAS, State Law specifies that, for actions governed by local environmental review, the lead agency shall be that local agency which has primary responsibility for approving and funding or carrying out the action, and WHEREAS, the proposed adoption of the comprehensive plan is a “Type I” Action under the City of Ithaca Environmental Quality Review Ordinance, and the State Environmental Quality Review Act and is subject to environmental review; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, that the Common Council of the City of Ithaca does hereby declare itself lead agency for the environmental review of the adoption of Plan Ithaca as Phase I of the City of Ithaca Comprehensive Plan. Adoption of Plan Ithaca as Phase I of the City of Ithaca Comprehensive Plan – Determination of Environmental Significance Moved by Alderperson Brock; seconded by Alderperson Martell. Carried Unanimously. WHEREAS, the City of Ithaca is considering the adoption of Plan Ithaca as Phase I of the City’s Comprehensive Plan, and WHEREAS, appropriate environmental review has been conducted including the preparation of a Full Environmental Assessment Form (FEAF), dated July 16, 2015, and Approved at the September 9, 2015 PEDC Meeting WHEREAS, the City of Ithaca Conservation Advisory Council and Tompkins County Planning Department have been given the opportunity to comment on the proposed plan, and all comments received to date have been considered, and WHEREAS, the proposed action is a “Type I” Action under the City Environmental Quality Review Ordinance and the State Environmental Quality Review Act, and WHEREAS, the Common Council of the City of Ithaca, acting as lead agency, has reviewed the FEAF prepared by planning staff; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, that this Common Council, as lead agency in this matter, hereby adopts as its own the findings and conclusions more fully set forth in the Full Environmental Assessment Form, dated July 16, 2015, and be it further RESOLVED, that this Common Council, as lead agency in this matter, hereby determines that the proposed action at issue will not have a significant effect on the environment, and that further environmental review is unnecessary, and be it further RESOLVED, that this resolution constitutes notice of this negative declaration and that the City Clerk is hereby directed to file a copy of the same, together with any attachments, in the City Clerk’s Office, and forward the same to any other parties as required by law. Adoption of Plan Ithaca as Phase I of the City of Ithaca Comprehensive Plan Moved by Alderperson Brock; seconded by Alderperson Kerslick. Carried Unanimously. WHEREAS, the Comprehensive Plan outlines a vision for the city’s future and serves as a guide for future decision-making, policies, and funding, and WHEREAS, the City of Ithaca’s existing Comprehensive Plan was completed in 1971 and has since been amended fourteen times by various targeted neighborhood and strategic plans, and WHEREAS, while some objectives of the 1971 plan and its amendments are still applicable, many are not, and both local conditions and broader national and world-wide trends that affect Ithaca have changed dramatically since then, resulting in a need for an updated comprehensive plan that addresses present -day issues and anticipates future ones, and WHEREAS, the City decided to pursue a two-phased approach to its new Comprehensive Plan, where Phase I entails the preparation of an “umbrella” plan that sets forth broad goals and principles to guide future policies throughout the city and where Phase II will include the preparation of specific neighborhood and thematic plans, and WHEREAS, in accordance with the City of Ithaca Municipal Code and New York State General City Law, the Planning and Development Board is responsible for preparing and recommending a new Comprehensive Plan to the Common Council for adoption, and WHEREAS, the Planning and Development Board established the Comprehensive Plan Committee (“the Committee”) by resolution in July 2008 and charged the Committee with the following responsibilities regarding the preparation of a proposed, new comprehensive plan: a) Preparing and approving a request for qualifications (“RFQ”) for a consultant team to assist with Phase I of the development of the proposed, new City of Ithaca comprehensive plan; b) Reviewing the responses to the RFQ, conducting interviews o f consultant teams, and making a recommendation of a consultant team to the Planning Board, Mayor, and Common Council for their respective approvals; c) Overseeing the preparation of a draft of Phase I of the proposed, new comprehensive plan, by coordinating the work of staff and the selected consultant team, ensuring the level of Approved at the September 9, 2015 PEDC Meeting public outreach and engagement necessary to reflect community goals, and making progress reports to the Planning Board and Common Council (periodically and as requested); and d) Approving a draft of Phase I of the proposed, new comprehensive plan for review and acceptance (with possible modification) by the Planning Board, recommendation by the Planning Board to Common Council, review and approval (with possible modification) by Common Council’s Planning and Economic Development Committee, and adoption by Common Council, and WHEREAS, public input has been a priority for the Committee throughout the planning process, and the Committee made efforts to gather community input at various stages of the plan’s development, and WHEREAS, the Committee worked with a consultant on the initial phase of public outreach and on the preparation of two background reports that would inform the preparation of the new plan, but following the completion of these tasks, the City decided to move forward without the consultant team; the remaining work on the draft plan was completed by the Committee and staff, and WHEREAS, using comments from the initial public outreach, as well as data on existing condition s and trends, subcommittees of the Committee (known as “chapter groups”) and staff created an overall vision for the City and goals for the sections of each chapter, and WHEREAS, a series of focus group meetings were held to get comments on the goals for each section of the plan, as well as ideas for implementation, and the chapter groups and staff used this feedback to draft each of the plan’s chapters, and WHEREAS, at the same time, the full Committee prepared the plan’s land use chapter and held public workshops in April 2014, and WHEREAS, the complete draft Phase I plan, Plan Ithaca, was made available for public review in April 2015, and the Committee held eight open houses to get public comments on the draft plan, and WHEREAS, the Committee revised the draft plan to incorporate new public input, and at its meeting on June 15, 2015, the Comprehensive Plan Committee voted to recommend the draft Plan Ithaca for review and consideration by the Planning and Development Board as Phase I of the Comprehensi ve Plan, and WHEREAS, the Planning and Development Board held public comment on the draft Plan Ithaca at its meeting on June 23, 2015 and reviewed the draft at a special meeting on June 30, 2015, where it recommended it for adoption by the Common Council as Phase I of the Comprehensive Plan, and WHEREAS, following the July 2015 Planning & Economic Development Committee meeting, the draft Plan Ithaca was circulated for additional comment, and a new draft, dated August 6, 2015, was prepared that incorporates many of the submitted comments, and WHEREAS, the draft Plan Ithaca was submitted for review by the Tompkins County Planning Department pursuant to §239-l-m of the New York State General Municipal Law, which requires that all actions within 500 feet of a county or state facility, including county and state highways, be reviewed by the County Planning Department, and has also been distributed for review by the City of Ithaca Conservation Advisory Council, and WHEREAS, a public hearing for the adoption of the plan was held on August 12, 2015, and WHEREAS, the Common Council has considered the draft Plan Ithaca as recommended by the Comprehensive Plan Committee and the Planning and Development Board; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, that the Common Council hereby adopts Plan Ithaca, dated August 6, 2015, as Phase I of the Comprehensive Plan. Approved at the September 9, 2015 PEDC Meeting Alderperson Kerslick thanked Megan for all the work she did on the plan. What is the plan to incorporate the comments provided? Gilbert stated all but two of the comments prior to the August draft were not included as they were not substantive. Alderperson McCollister stated her discouragement of the fact that a lot of the property within the City is tax exempt and the lack of collaboration with the County and the Town of Ithaca. Some suggestions made by the committee members include: Alderperson Brock suggested changing the naming of the inlet as Cayuga Inlet. Changing the routing of Route 13 and how it impacted the one-way pairs. Added the phrase of livable wage. Cornell made several comments on water and gorge safety. Alderperson McCollister suggested that any change in gorge safety should be reviewed by the City attorney to accurately reflect the liability issues involved. Alderperson Brock suggested that environmental sensitive land use should be further addressed. She further stated that Spencer Road is of concern as to how this area’s density is classified. Alderperson McGonigal praised Megan on the work she did on this plan. He doesn’t agree that higher density or increasing the population is the answer. The outlying areas are still needed and are important. David Kay, a comp plan committee member, interjected that is not the committee’s intent to claim that surveys show that the trend is that peo ple are moving into the City because there are many surveys that suggest otherwise. He pointed out that where you live doesn’t matter when it comes to paying school taxes. More people in the City increases sales tax revenue and property tax revenue. We can’t control who comes to the City to live, work, or go to school, but we can try to help those people. Approved at the September 9, 2015 PEDC Meeting b) Neighborhood Improvement Incentive Fund RESOLUTION: Request for Neighborhood Improvement Incentive Funds from the Ithaca Housing Authority Tenant Council and the Family Sites Tenant Council for National Night Out, August 2015. Moved by Alderperson Martell; seconded by Alderperson Brock. Carried Unanimously. WHEREAS, the City of Ithaca Common Council established the Neighborhood Improvement Incentive Fund in 1995 to provide financial assistance to city residents seeking to improve the quality of life in their neighborhoods, and WHEREAS, the fund is intended to support residents' interest in community improvement and to encourage, not replace volunteerism, and WHEREAS, the funds are intended to be used for projects or events that provide a general neighborhood benefit and not for the limited benefit of individuals or a select few residents, and WHEREAS, activities specified by the Council as eligible for the funding include but are not limited to items such as neighborhood clean-ups, planting in public places, and organizing neighborhood events like block parties or meetings, and WHEREAS, neighborhood groups are required to submit a completed application specifying other project donations, estimated volunteer hours, estimated costs to be covered by the fund and signatures of residents in the immediate neighborhood, and WHEREAS, to streamline the process the Council has delegated authority to approve applications to the Planning & Economic Development Committee, and WHEREAS, each neighborhood group is eligible to receive up to $300 per year as a reimbursement award payable on the submission of original receipts or invoices for approved activities, and WHEREAS, the City cannot reimburse residents for sales tax expenses, and WHEREAS, the Ithaca Housing Authority Tenant Council and the Family Sites Tenant Council have submitted completed applications for reimbursement funds to off-set expenses that in past years have generally ranged from $500 – $1,000 for their annual National Night Out events, held this year on Tuesday, August 4, 2015, and WHEREAS, this annual event is sponsored by the Ithaca Housing Authority Tenant Council at Titus Towers and by the Family Sites Tenant Council at Conway Park, and the events provide opportunities for socializing with diverse groups of both south of the Creek and Northside residents; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, that the Planning and Economic Development Committee approves the request from the Ithaca Housing Authority Tenant Council and the Family Sites Tenant Council in an amount up to $600.00 ($300.00 per neighborhood group) for reimbursement upon presentation of original invoices and/or receipts. Approved at the September 9, 2015 PEDC Meeting c) Resolution Authorizing Agreement with INHS for Future Improvements to Lake Avenue and Eastern Portion of Adams Street Moved by Alderperson McCollister; seconded by Alderperson Kerslick. Carried Unanimously. WHEREAS, Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc. (INHS) in 2014 purchased the parcel known as 210 Hancock Street and began seeking community and Planning Board input; and WHEREAS, based on this input, INHS has proposed a development plan of the 210 Hancock parcel that includes improvements to Lake Avenue for a pedestrian and bicycle pathway and incorporation of a playground structure in the eastern section of Adams Street; and WHEREAS, City staff is generally supportive of the development plans proposed by INHS, and INHS is in the process of obtaining site plan approval; and WHEREAS, INHS has agreed to construct and maintain such improvements at its cost in accordance with City specifications affording City vehicles the ability to continue to access the creek through the improved site as needed for public works or safety purposes; and WHEREAS, the improvements and land underneath such improvements shall be the property of the City, and will be open to the public; and WHEREAS, INHS has agreed to be responsible for maintenance and liabilities resulting f rom use of the improved site, except for any liabilities which are caused by the City’s negligence or willful misconduct, which shall be the City’s responsibility; and WHEREAS, in consideration for these agreements, the City has agreed to seek discontinuance of Lake Avenue and the eastern portion of Adams Street; and WHEREAS, the discontinuance process will require environmental review, public comment, and discretionary approval (or denial) by the Board of Public Works; and WHEREAS, INHS has asked for an agreement from the City that it commits to seek discontinuance in order to satisfy certain requirements related to the Low Income Housing Tax Credits that INHS is seeking; now, therefore be it RESOLVED, that the Mayor is authorized execute an agreement with INHS substantially similar to that included herewith, and for a term not to exceed fifty (50) years, concerning the use of Lake Avenue and the eastern portion of Adams Street. Alderperson Brock asked whether this has been seen by the Board of Public Works (BPW). City Attorney Ari Lavine stated it is scheduled for the next BPW meeting which will be held prior to the next Council meeting in September. INHS pointed out the area in question is on the chart. Alderperson Brock stated there is no term date. What happens then? Ari referred to page ??. The City would be able to make changes at their own expense. The City has a great deal of flexibility. Alderperson Brock would like to see a term date just as a matter of principal not that she feels there isn’t any other use of this property. Approved at the September 9, 2015 PEDC Meeting Alderperson Brock suggested a change to No. 18 of the agreement, Alderperson Kerslick seconded it. Failed 4-1. Lavine further stated that this will not be termed a park. It may look like a park, but it won’t be classified as such. Alderperson McGonigal asked whether these back yards are big enough to house typical outdoor items. The answer is yes. 6) Discussion a) Ithaca Falls Natural Area – I don’t have any notes for this item. b) Backyard Chickens I don’t have any notes for this item. 7) Review and Approval of Minutes a) July 2015 – Minutes were not ready for review and approval 8) Adjournment All agreed to adjourn 8:50 p.m.